The present invention relates to a data converting apparatus, a data converting method, and a recoding medium for implementing data conversion when packet data which are made of content data supplemented with recording control information to be referenced upon recording of the content data and which are input to a first apparatus are output from there to a second apparatus.
With rapid advances in digital technology in recent years, it has become commonplace to record and reproduce content data such as AV (audio visual) data in digital form.
Unlike analog data, digital AV content data maintain their high levels of sound and image quality. The digital data are also noted for little degradation in quality when copied and reproduced. These features call for strict copy control measures from the viewpoint of implementing adequate copyright protection.
One conventional copy control technique is known as SCMS (Serial Copy Management System). This technique involves writing recording control information called CCI (Copy Control Information) together with content data to recording media such as CDs (Compact Discs) or MDs (Mini Discs). When CCI-supplemented content is packetized and sent from a transmitting apparatus (acting as a player) illustratively over an IEC 60958 digital transmission channel to a receiving apparatus (acting as a recorder), the CCI is placed in packets so that the receiving apparatus during recording will carry out copy control based on what is defined by the CCI.
At present, the CCI defines three categories of copy: “Copy Freely,” which means content may be copied unlimitedly; “Copy One Generation,” which means content may be copied for one generation only; and “Copy Never,” which means no copy is allowed.
Another conventional copy control technique is known as DTCP (Digital Transmission Content Protection). This technique has been adopted to carry out authentication and transmission stream encryption between apparatuses that exchange content data illustratively over an IEEE 1394 transmission channel after retrieval from SACD (Super Audio CD) or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) media, whereby unlimited content data transmission is supposed to be thwarted.
DTCP also involves the use of the CCI that stipulates the sole definition of “Copy No More” upon transmission.
As it is becoming even more commonplace to record AV content data digitally from now on, the desire of copyright holders to better protect their copyrights is expected to grow. The manners and techniques such as the CCI by which to protect copyrights are expected to diversify further.
CCI-based copy control techniques, however, have some disadvantages. In operation, an apparatus on the transmitting side reads the CCI from a recording medium and packetizes it together with retrieved content data before sending the packets over a transmission channel in response to a reproduction request from another apparatus on the receiving side. That means CCI-based copy control is executed in a manner totally dependent on the receiving apparatus.
If more CCI variations are to be adopted from now on in keeping with the diversifying measures and techniques for copyright protection, these variations must be accommodated by the receiving apparatus whose settings need to be changed for copy control every time such a variation is added. This, however, is very difficult to accomplish. As long as conventional copy control techniques are used in conjunction with the CCI, copy control cannot be performed in a manner effectively embracing any newly added CCI variations.
Furthermore, with future CCI definitions expected to become more diversified, the recording and reproducing operations reflecting such definitions will be carried out in a more sophisticated manner than before. With such developments coming into sight, relying solely on the receiving apparatus for implementation of adequate copy management is an unrealistic proposition.